Faster Athletic Recovery with Prolotherapy
Natural rejuvenation for injured joints
Nagging injuries are the bane of many active retirees and athletes who train in Southwest Florida. When an injury occurs, the body attempts to regenerate, but in many cases the attempt falls short. Commonly injured joint structures, such as tendons, ligaments, menisci, labrum and articular cartilage, have a poor blood supply and often do not heal well on their own.
Fortunately, there is a treatment that can naturally promote the body to continue the repair process: prolotherapy. Also called regenerative injection therapy, this treatment simulates the normal healing cascade, providing the joint rejuvenation needed to repair an injury. Prolotherapy simulates the normal tendon and ligament repair timeline. By causing a mild, localized inflammatory reaction, the proliferation of cells is induced (thus the term prolotherapy). These cells are how the body repairs and strengthens tissue.
Preventing the Onset of Osteoarthritis
The ideal prolotherapy treatment for sports injuries involves comprehensively treating both inside and around the injured joint. When an athlete suffers a meniscal tear, for example, additional structures in the knee joint are typically injured or left unstable—namely, the ligament and tendon attachments, which hold the bones together. The resulting joint instability from injured or overstretched ligaments is the primary cause of joint pain, in addition to being what begins the degenerative cascade toward osteoarthritis.
This is why it is imperative to treat sports injuries and joint pain as soon as possible. The treatment should focus on rejuvenating the whole joint and emphasize the importance of joint stability when it comes to athletic performance. Prolotherapy can be used alongside other healing therapies, including exercise and physical therapy.
Prolotherapy treatments generally can:
• Heal sports injuries quickly.
• Eliminate the need for joint surgeries or arthroscopy.
• Keep the joints, tendons and ligaments strong and healthy.
• End the need for pain medications such as anti-inflammatories and narcotics.
• Allow athletes to eliminate bracing or taping the joint.
• Prevent further joint damage done by corticosteroid injections.
• Enhance joint strength and endurance.
Cellular Prolotherapy
If an injury is severe or longstanding, a person’s own cells may be used in the proliferant solution. This is referred to as cellular prolotherapy. It can include concentrated healing cells from the blood, known as platelet-rich plasma prolotherapy. It can also include a person’s own stem cells taken from fat and /or bone marrow, known as stem-cell prolotherapy. A person’s own cells placed directly into the injured joint can turbocharge the healing reaction. Stem cells can form other cells, including meniscus,
labrum, cartilage, ligament and tendon cells. Additionally, patients appreciate that this is a same-day procedure and does not entail the risks and recovery time of surgery.
Prolotherapy versus Cortisone Injections
Injured athletes want to eliminate pain in order to return to sports as soon as possible. Consequently, they are advised to take anti-inflammatory medications or receive cortisone injections as quick fixes, though they are often not well informed about how these treatments may put future sports participation in jeopardy.
Remember that the body heals by inflammation, plain and simple. When athletes take anti-inflammatory medications or receive cortisone shots, they stop the normal healing reaction in the body. This often induces further injury because it gives the athlete a false sense of security. One can liken joint pain to a fire triggering a smoke alarm. If you take the batteries out of the smoke alarm, it will stop sounding; however, the fire is still raging and causing uncontrolled damage. Joint pain is your body’s way of telling you there is a problem in the area. To cover up the pain signal over and over, while continuing to perform athletics, hastens joint deterioration.
An athlete should opt for treatments that stimulate long-term repair, which will naturally eliminate joint pain, versus choosing treatments that merely mask the pain. Prolotherapy, in contrast to cortisone injections, is such a treatment. Therefore, for patients who wish to remain active and participate in sports or other activities, prolotherapy is a great option. Ross Hauser, M.D., is the medical director of Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services, with locations in Fort Myers, Fla., and Oak Park, Ill. (caringmedical.com).
WHEN ATHLETES TAKE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICATIONS OR RECEIVE CORTISONE SHOTS, THEY STOP THE NORMAL HEALING REACTION IN THE BODY.